Pointe-St-Charles spooked by fake letters warning of 'imminent' oil shipment danger

Residents of Pointe-St-Charles are scratching their heads after receiving ominous letters about the dangers of trains carrying crude oil.

The letters appeared to have come from the borough — they were printed on official-looking letterhead and included a map showing the areas that would be damaged in case of a derailment.

But it turns out they were fake.

The Southwest borough said it a statement it did not send the letters, and borough mayor Benoit Dorais said he doesn't condone their "alarmist tone."

The notices were still convincing enough to frighten some residents.

The letters included phone numbers for a Transportation Safety Board hotline. An operator told CBC that several people had called, concerned about the notices.

"It was a warning, really, of imminent danger. Saying that what happened in Lac-Mégantic could easily happen in our neighbourhood," said Rob Hack, a resident who found one of these letters in his mailbox.

"I've been to Lac-Mégantic. The idea that hazardous material is being transported less than a block from my home is troubling," Hack said.

While they were fake, the letters have prompted some real concerns about rail safety to resurface.

Dorais is concerned that they aren't being informed about what hazardous materials are being shipped through their communities.

City councillor Craig Sauvé says that needs to change.

"One of the things we've asked for is that there be a real-time transfer of information to security authorities of municipalities, so we'd know when there would be dangerous materials going through our borough, our community and we can track it," Sauvé said.

He said Montreal city council just passed a motion calling for a moratorium on the transport of hazardous materials by rail through the city.

And he hopes the new federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau will make rail safety a priority.